


The Other Half

by posingasme



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Big Brother Dean, Fish out of Water, Gen, Lawyer Sam Winchester, M/M, Uncle Dean, overwhelmed Sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 12:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10616700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posingasme/pseuds/posingasme
Summary: Sam and his brother were taught by their father and their tough childhood to survive in any situation. Now that Sam is older and married to a very wealthy man, the concept of survival has new meaning. When Sam feels stressed, he calls in his big brother for a bit of normalcy.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MistressCL](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressCL/gifts).



> Samazar requested by MistressCL.

“It's a little rough now, but you should see it at Christmas. They really do a very nice job. Very adequate.”

Sam was nodding and trying to smile, but he felt a little sick to his stomach. The thought kept running through his mind relentlessly: “I don't belong here.” He was irrationally terrified that if he tried to speak, that was what would come out of his mouth. So he continued to nod, and continued to try to smile.

“That green over there is for bocce, of course, and though I don't play myself, my father says it's quite good.”

He had thought it was for miniature golf, but he certainly wasn't going to say that. He so didn't belong here. He wasn't even sure what a bocce was. He thought maybe his friend Jess had ordered one in a French bakery once, but that memory must have been corrupted by time, because it had nothing to do with a rectangular strip of turf surrounded by a border.

“Of course, you probably know about the tennis courts. It's just ridiculous. I don't know what they were thinking.”

Sam couldn't imagine what could possibly be wrong with the tennis courts, but he nodded sympathetically. “I don't know either,” he responded, because it was true. He didn't know anything. He had never felt more out of place than he did in this insane rabbit hole of a community.

When his phone rang, and Zeppelin poured out, he felt his face heat bright red. He apologized awkwardly, and hurried out of earshot to answer. “Dude, please tell me you're on your way.”

His brother's laugh gave him his first true smile of the day. “On my way!” Dean confirmed. “What's wrong, kiddo? I thought you and Jay were just going to the playground while you waited for me.”

“We’re at the playground. If you can even call this a playground. God, Dean I don't belong here.”

Dean was still chuckling. “Come on, Samantha. You belong at the PTA bake sales just as much as they do. And wait till they see your mean bridge game.”

“Screw you. This is so...It isn't just suburban. It's...it’s…”

“Posh?”

“God, just get here. I need to talk to a normal human.”

“I count as a normal human?”

“Get. Here.”

The laugh seemed to echo after Dean had hung up.

Sam sighed. His gaze followed his son’s sprint across the park toward the little play houses marked “General Store” and “Town Hall” and “Home Sweet Home” that were larger and better furnished than some places Sam had lived in his life. It was an entire miniature village, with landscaped gardens and a rocky brook with a tiny footbridge over it. One of the Home Sweet Homes was two stories and had a balcony. Even the little white and blue birdhouse nailed to the tree nearby was practically a bird condominium.

“We couldn't have afforded rent in that mini post office when I was a kid,” he muttered.

Yet here was his son, playing with kids who had never been dirty or lonely their whole lives, who didn't know what it was like to wear out or outgrow a pair of shoes, who had never tried to fall asleep while hungry at night.

He was grateful Jay wasn't growing up the way he and Dean had. He wouldn't want his son playing on an asphalt playground with a single basketball hoop with a chain net, with used needles behind the broken water fountain. He was proud to be able to give his son a better experience than that. But it was impossible not to fixate on the knowledge that this was not a reality for most children. In a neighborhood where the half-million dollar, 5,200 square foot home was the “cute little place on the corner,” everything seemed surreal to Sam.

“Papa!” Jay shrieked suddenly, and Sam startled badly. He whirled toward the park entrance to find Balthazar walking toward them. He sighed with relief.

“Balt,” he breathed.

His husband smiled at him. His hands were in his tight jeans pockets, and he wore his black sports coat over his gray vee-neck tee, in spite of the spring air. “Saw the Lexus at the clubhouse lot on my way by, so I stopped. I like finding you two out playing,” he said, in the lovely accent and that tripped up Sam's heart.

Their fingers brushed together. It was the only touch they allowed, and only for an instant, but the contact soothed Sam's nerves and warmed his heart. “Yeah. Just checking out the neighborhood.”

Jay tackled his papa in a hug, and Balthazar beamed at him. “Where did you go?” the boy asked breathlessly. “Did you fly? Did you see anything cool?”

Balthazar kissed Jay's cheek. “I was in Japan. And I didn't fly. I swam.”

“No you didn't!” Jay giggled. “Did he, Daddy? He didn't swim to Japan!”

“If anyone could, it would be your papa,” Sam responded neutrally.

“Or Uncle Dean. Because he's a superhero.”

Sam rolled his eyes as his husband smirked. “Yeah. He thinks so.”

“Are you two boys ready for some dinner?”

“I ate at that place,” Jay said, pointing at the playhouse marked “Bistro.”

Balthazar nodded. “All right. Then your daddy and I will go eat and you can stay-”

“No! I was just playing pretend! It's not for real!”

The man smiled at him. “I'm so glad you didn't really eat without me. I like having my dinner with you.” He got up from where he was sitting on his heels to talk to their son. “Do you want me to order something?”

“We've got spaghetti, if that's all right. I need to use the mushrooms and peppers before they go bad.”

His husband nodded. “That sounds nice. Wine?”

“Dean's on his way,” he blurted out.

Balthazar had turned back to watch Jay empty sand out of his shoe, but now he looked back. “Oh? More the merrier.”

“I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you till morning.” He laughed a little, and leaned in to whisper. “You're lucky. Some guys come home from business trips early to find someone other than a brother-in-law keeping their spouse company.”

“That's it. I'm never going back to Asia. I'll videochat everything from now on.”

Sam laughed. “If I had known I could keep you home with just a little teasing, I'd have done it years ago.”

“And we would still be living in an apartment in New York, Sam.” Balthazar took hold of Jay's stubborn shoe and put it on him himself.

“I know. And you'd never be able to be still for more than a few weeks. What do we say, Jay?”

“Papa’s gotta fly!”

Sam nodded. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Papa’s gotta fly.”

He saw his husband's sidelong glance of concern, but he didn't meet those sharp eyes, and so the man began chatting with Jay about his adventures. “And I brought you some things,” he said below his breath.

But Sam heard. “Balt! You promised you weren't going to do that! Not every time. I don't want him thinking he's getting something every time you leave!”

Balthazar winked at Jay in a conspiratorial way. “Of course not. Just this time.”

Jay grinned.

“You say just this time every time,” Sam pointed out. They had reached the lot, and he leaned on his LX 570. “I'll meet you at the house,” he sighed.

Balthazar and Jay waved, and piled into the Aston Martin instead. Every time the child climbed into that car that cost more than any home his namesake John ever owned, Sam thought of Dean. Dean's entire inheritance from their father had been his anger issues and a classic black Chevy Impala. For that matter, Sam had gotten the first and not the latter, so Dean had made out better, he supposed.

Dean had fallen for the Aston Martin at first glance. He hadn't been a fan of the driver since his kid brother had fallen for him. But Dean knew Balthazar’s favorite things in the world involved spoiling Sam and Jay, and he couldn't argue with that. He also couldn't argue with the guy’s taste in cars.

They drove through the neighborhood, and Sam could see the animated way in which Jay was catching his papa up on all the things which had happened in the ten days he had been away.

Sam wondered how long it would be before Papa had to leave again.

Dean pulled into the drive just as he was stepping out of his own vehicle. “Heya, Sammy,” he said quietly.

He wrapped his arms around his big brother in a way he generally shied away from. As he knew he would, Dean let him put his significant weight on his shoulders, literally. “I missed you.”

There was a soft smile in Dean's voice. “Missed you too, little brother. But looks like Brat’s home.”

“Balt,” Sam corrected dryly, stepping back to glare.

“Oh, right,” Dean teased. “Honest mistake. So if he's home, you want me to take off? I'll hit a hotel.”

“And by that you mean sleep in your car.”

Dean shrugged. “My Baby's my home,” he responded.

Sam frowned at him. “Dean, you've got a home now. So do I. We haven't had to live out of that car for a long time.”

“But I know I could,” Dean answered stubbornly. “Because we have. And you never know when you might need to remember how to survive.”

It sounded like an accusation. “I haven't forgotten,” Sam said darkly.

Dean shrugged again. “Getting soft there, kiddo. Just saying.”

Sam stood up straighter. “You don't have to sleep in a hotel or a truck stop lot,” he snapped. “We've got plenty of beds.”

That earned him a snort.

He glowered at his brother another instant, then turned on his heel. “Stay or go. But come see your nephew right now. You'd break his heart if you didn't.”

Dean grabbed his arm. “Hey. I'm just teasing you, man. You're more stressed than I thought. I'll let it alone. I promise.” He used his brightest smile. “I'll even call him Balt.”

At last, Sam sighed and gave him the ghost of a smile. “No, you won't.”

“Nah, probably not.” Dean smacked him on the arm, and led the way to the entrance.

Sam was exhausted. The whole time Balthazar had been away, he had worked on the house. There were so many things involved in making a home out of a newly constructed house. Sam was completely out of his element. If he hadn't found Sarah Blake, he would be entirely lost.

Sarah was his saving grace, his angel in a world of refined chaos. She had come to design the interior of his new home, but in a short time, she had helped him far more than that. She was his first call whenever he felt out of place. He was loathe to admit to Dean that he was still terrified of this life. He knew his brother knew. But that didn't make it any easier to talk about. On the other hand, Sarah had grown up with this sort of lifestyle, but was down to earth and had a sense of humor about it all that somehow gave Sam permission to breathe. She fit in where Sam clearly didn't, but she never made him feel out-classed herself. He was grateful for that.

The home was beautiful. Balthazar had chosen the floor plans, with Sam's shy requests and input prioritized first. Sam’s favorite space was his office, the sanctuary he had always dreamed about. There was a cherry mahogany executive desk, with gorgeous matching bookshelves covered in every book he had ever loved or desired, many in leather binding. He had simply stood in the doorway when it was finished, after Jay had gone to bed, and stared at it.

What would John think? He had been afraid to wonder. But another thought came to him which brought a smile, and he had found himself speaking aloud to a ghost he had carried in his heart his whole life.

“What do you think, Mom? Never thought I'd ever have this space. I've built it in my head since I was a kid. I guess other kids thought of castles or something. I don't know. But all I ever wanted was my own library, where I didn't have to take the books back and leave them behind when I had to move again. Balt laughed. But he asked me what I wanted more than anything in the world. He loves me, Mom. He could have just...He could have just handed me a credit card, you know? But he didn't. He listened as I went on and on about everything I always dreamed about. And he built it. Down to the smallest thing, he listened, and he brought it all to life. He will probably never step foot in here again, but he worked harder on this space than on anything else in the house.” He touched his framed photograph of his mother on the desk, with gentle reverence. “He loves me, Mom.”

Dean could call the man a brat all he liked, and it was undeniable that Balthazar had never truly had to know how to survive, as Dean said. Certainly not the way they had, growing up. But for all his money and power, for all his stunning, smirking beauty and easy charisma, Balthazar was a good man. He was a wealthy man from a very old family. But he listened and he loved like no one Sam had ever known.

Sam took a deep breath and followed his family into his new home. Whether or not he belonged in this neighborhood, Sam belonged with his people, Balthazar, Jay and Dean, with his new friend Sarah just a phone call away.

If this was, as they said, how the other half lived, at least he knew his other half was on the adventure with him, and that he was there to teach their son how to survive life in both worlds.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I can see this as a ficlet I return to one day, but done for now. Comments are as awesome as playgrounds. 
> 
> ~Posing


End file.
